1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a steering system in a vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known from published German patent application document DE 10 2005 021 725 A1 to detect an immediately impending collision of the vehicle with the aid of an on-board sensor device and to take specific measures in the vehicle as a function of collision parameters either for self-protection or for the protection of the other vehicle involved in the accident. These measures relate to actively displaceable safety components in the vehicle which are, for example, an integral part of the vehicle body or are connected to it. For example, in the case of published German patent application document DE 10 2005 021 725 A1, the front bumper cross beam may be displaced backwards in the vehicle's longitudinal direction for pedestrian protection with the aid of a displacement device.
Furthermore, it is also known to activate a driver assistance system for reducing the consequences of an accident by, for example, automatically initiating a braking operation as soon as an impending accident has been detected.
If the vehicle is equipped with an active steering system which makes it possible to produce a superimposed steering angle independent of the driver which may be superimposed on the steering angle requested by the driver, the activation of the active steering system may also be used for reducing the consequences of an accident. However, such active steering systems are available in only a few vehicles due to their complex design.